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The World Commission on Environment and Development’s 1987 Brundtland report ‘Our Common Future’ defined sustainable development as “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” [17]. But putting this into concrete action, for example certifying something as ‘low-carbon’, ‘green’ or ‘sustainable’ can be challenging due to several reasons.
Environmental issues are multifaceted and interconnected. Factors such as energy efficiency, resource conservation, waste management, biodiversity preservation, and social equity all play a role in sustainability. Attempting to capture all these dimensions in a single definition can be challenging.
Our understanding of environmental impact and sustainable practices is constantly evolving. As scientific research progresses and new technologies emerge, our understanding of what is considered "green" or "low-carbon" evolves as well. This means that definitions must be flexible to adapt to new information and advancements.
In many cases, there are trade-offs between different environmental, social, and economic goals. For example, a product may be environmentally friendly but not socially equitable, or it may be sustainable in one context but not in another. Defining what is "green" or "sustainable" requires considering these trade-offs and contextual factors, which adds complexity to the definition.
Finally, terms like "green", “low-carbon" and "sustainable" have become highly marketable, leading to the risk of greenwashing: when companies or organisations make false or unsubstantiated claims to be environmentally friendly, climate neural or the like. This further complicates any definition as it requires distinguishing genuine sustainability efforts from mere marketing tactics.
Nonetheless, it is possible to draw some protective lines or “guard-rails” around these terms, that can help us to progress the conversation and not lose sight of the path toward a carbon negative, restorative and just world. To do so, a 3 criteria-method is used in this report, which is described here: